Through the Great Filter | Completed ✔

The Black Library

For the first time, I was able to see the color black on the surface of this color addicted planet. I guess when she said "we will go to a place where symbols and alphabets come into life." She is referring to  a library. The library where we are currently into is very large, in fact it is twenty times larger than the size of the restaurant we went to. It is the same as the normal library of Earth with the exception of the colors and the books themselves. All of its walls, roof, floors, and shelves are in color black. But the books in the shelves are the ones that are colorful. They are all brightly colored, even the texts and symbols. It perfectly complements the color of the place.

She is currently searching through the million books of this library in one of the thousand shelves standing on its floor. I do not know what she is finding but what I am sure with is that whatever that book is, it will hurt my eyes.

You can ask questions while I am finding my book.

Ok. So, we have been talking for at least a few hours but I still don't know your name. Would you mind me, if I ask for your name?

Actually ... I do not have one.

What?

We Szxuveeks do not name ourselves. Instead, we have number codes for each and everyone and I am number "Four Trillion One Hundred Sixty-Seven Billion Seven Hundred and Six Million Four Hundred Thousand and One." (4,167,706,400,001)

I choked after she stated her number code. That is a mouthful of words to be use as a freaking name.

They call ... you ... like that?

Yes. But of course they use our language. Well, if you translate that in Szxuveeks' language it is @#&!   Short right? So it will not be a problem.

All I can say is ... Wow!

Other questions, then.

Oh, yes besides sitting, what other things are you not allowed or are not used to do?

We do not sleep.

Huh?

I mean, you Earthlings sleep every night for at least 8 hours or more. That is what I have understand base on your books. But we do not do it in that way instead we have what we called hibernation period.

Hibernation Period?

Yes. In Szxuveekiex's time. We have 16 months in a year. There are 45 days in each month, no less no more. There are 4 hours in a day with each hour having 1500 minutes. Well, everyone that "blooms" in the first 8 months are designated as "Shift A" while the ones who blooms in the latter half are designated as "Shift B". The Shift A, upon reaching 5 years old will have an annual resting time or also called as hibernation period for the first half of the year. That means they will shut down their bodies for straight eight months and after the said time, that is their only turn where they will be productive. They will replace the Shift B who are productive for the first eight months and now will hibernate for the remaining half of the year. The shifting goes on and on every year.

Ohhh ... ... That looks complicated.

It looks complicated because you are not used to it. Do you think Szxuveeks will say that resting every night is a normal thing? Of course not. That method of resting also looks complicated for me. By the way, I am currently 10 years old in Szuveeks' time and I belong to Shift B. How about you? How old are you in an Earthling point of view of time?

I am 20 years old in Earth's time.

I would love to know how close our age is. You look as if you are at my age. If only I have time to study the maths I will. Did you know that most Szxuveeks died at 40 to 50 years of age. That is the life expectancy here. How about yours?